Anna
by Irish Rose1
Summary: ANNA AND THE KING Anna Leonowens says goodbye to Siam and the king.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Anna and the King is not mine. It belongs to 20th Century Fox and Andy Tennant.

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If Anna Leonowens thought her journey to Siam had been something of a challenge, to leave it was even more so because much had happened since she and her son Louis had traveled with their servants Moonshee and Beebee from Bombay. 

She had been retained by the King of Siam to tutor his eldest son, Prince Chulalongkorn and had ended up teaching his 58 children. It was not something she had been prepared for, but she had soon learned that what she had agreed upon with the king and what her actual duties turned out to be were two very different things.

Even something as simple as a home for her and her family had been a battle of wills between her and the monarch. 

In the end though, it was because of King Mongkut that she had been able to let go of the awful pain and loneliness of the loss of her beloved Tom, a British officer who had died in India. 

It was something that had happened so quietly and gently that it didn't frighten her as it might have otherwise or made her feel as though she were being unfaithful to her husband's memory. Anna had fallen deeply in love and she knew before she had become fully aware of it that it was a love that could never be. Not just because she'd lost her heart to a king, but he would never be exclusively hers and that was something that she could never accept. 

It didn't help matters when he told her that he wished it could be different as well. But as she had been told more than once, everything in Siam had it's own time. Anna knew though, that there would never be a time for them and because of that she could not stay.

Moonshee had accompanied Louis to the palace that morning to spend time with Chulalongkorn and the other children before they had to board the _HMS Newcastle, _which at the moment waited for the outgoing tide. Beebee had made a pot of tea while they waited for Moonshee and Louis to return and Anna watched as some of the few household crates that remained were loaded onto a barge and then it slowly began to move away from the dock and down the river.

When the two finally did return, the king and the crowned prince accompanied them on the Royal Barge. This was not something that Anna had expected and she sighed, which got her a look of concern from Beebee. 

"I'm all right." Anna told her and wasn't sure who she tried to reassure more, Beebee or herself.

"Do you think he would take some tea?" She asked in an attempt to lighten the moment.

"I don't think so Beebee." Anna sighed again and stood up. "We need to think about packing up the tea things so we can be ready for the barge when it returns."

"Mother!" Louis called to her as he ran up the gravel walk. "The king says that he's going to take us to our ship!"

"If that is all right with mem." King Mongkut told her quietly as his three personal guards and Moonshee followed behind him.

Anna curtsied. "That is very kind of you, Your Majesty. But we're expecting the barge to return and we'll board then with the last of our things." She answered just as quietly.

"Please mem teacher." Chulalongkorn asked her. 

Anna looked into the young face that had matured since she had arrived. The topknot that he'd worn when the king had introduced her to the young prince was gone because his head had been shaved. As with his father before him, Chulalongkorn had gone into the monastery. All future kings had to for a time because it was in the monastic life that they learned humility. His hair had begun to grow back and the look of arrogance had long since been replaced by a look of confidence and kindness, so much like his father.

"Please Mother." Louis added.

She looked to Moonshee for help, but all he did was give her a look that told her it was her decision. He continued up to the veranda and beaconed to the boys to accompany him into the house while Beebee picked up the tea tray and followed them inside.

"King never had English tradition of tea." He remarked.

"No Your Majesty, you did not." She said.

He was quiet for a moment and looked at her. "Am wondering if perhaps we might have some tea before it is time for you to leave."

She didn't know what to say.

"Please mem." Was all he said.

The decision seemed to be taken out of her hands when Beebee returned with a full tray. "This is the last of the tea, ma'am." 

The king stepped up on the veranda and waited for Anna to be seated before he sat across the tea table from her. Beebee filled their cups and stepped back into the house.

She was aware of the fact that he watched her and when she looked over at him he smiled. "My little monkey would have enjoyed such."

Princess Fa-Ying. 

How many times had Anna thought of her since she'd been taken during the cholera epidemic and the king had been inconsolable? "I think about her everyday."

"King does as well. Fa-Ying thought much of mem." He said and a look of sadness crossed his face.

"I thought much of her too Your Majesty."

He put his cup down. "Will mem not think then about accepting offer?"

Why was it so hard for her to accept? 

"Mem Leonowens, it would please king if you would accept and Chulalongkorn wishes it to be so."

She couldn't help but smile. "When you put it that way Your Majesty, I don't suppose I have any choice."

He smiled back at her. "Thank you mem. Prince will be pleased, as is king ."


	2. I Am King, I Shall Lead

It had been decided that Anna and Louis would travel on the Royal Barge with the king and the prince. 

Moonshee and Beebee would wait for the cargo barge to return and they would make sure the last of the crates was loaded. So as Beebee took the tea tray into the house and Moonshee folded up the table, Louis and Prince Chulalongkorn ran down to the Barge as King Mongkut escorted Anna.

They walked down the gravel path and Anna couldn't resist the urge to stop and turn around so she could take one last look at her home. It had been a place that had brought her much joy and it had not been an easy decision to leave it.

"Is mem sure this is what she wants?" She heard his familiar voice close to her ear. She hadn't realized the king was so close and when she turned around he was as close to her as the night they waltzed to the tune from the music box. 

"It's best Your Majesty, even if it is not what I might want." She told him as she felt her face begin to burn with a blush.

The look in his eyes all but pleaded with her to stay, but she knew he would never ask because he knew what her answer would be. "Even if children wish mem to stay?"

"That is not fair. His Majesty is well aware of my reasons." Anna frowned.

"Yes, I am aware of reasons but hold out hope that mem might change her mind."

She looked into his eyes and sighed. "We have very different customs Your Majesty and there is one such custom that I cannot follow."

He nodded as though to tell her he understood. "King would not want such from mem."

"Thank you." She said as she opened her parasol and before she had a chance to take a step, he offered her his hand just as he had done the night of the anniversary party when they had danced.

"It would please King if you would allow such." He smiled and she took the hand he offered.

Neither said another word as they headed down the dock and when they reached the Barge, he kept a hold of her hand to help her aboard. 

The last time Anna had sat with the King, Fa-Ying had been with them when he had brought Louis and her to their home. "I don't think I'll ever forget this place. I don't remember much about England and India is a place I would like to forget."

"Because you lose husband?" 

"In part. My life was there because of my mother and father and it was where I met Tom. But it was also where I lost him and to go back there now would be too painful."

"Mem is wise to see this."

"I've learned a great many things here Your Majesty."

"This is very good." He told her as the Barge slipped away from the dock and the Royal Oarsmen began to paddle down river.

It wasn't difficult for Louis and the prince to keep themselves occupied as they watched the Oarsmen steer the boat and that left Anna and King Mongkut by themselves. 

"It is not like mem to be silent." 

Anna turned to look at him and couldn't help but smile. "The silence is deafening I suppose."

He smiled back at her. "Kings own words come back to him."

"I meant no disrespect Your Majesty."

He nodded. "What had mem so quiet?"

"Remembering."

He looked at her with concern. "It must not be good if mem is frowning."

"I'm sorry Your Majesty, I didn't realize I was frowning."

The king looked at her. "Is it something you wish to keep from King?"

"It is not that. I was remembering when you brought Louis and I here and I was remembering the anniversary dinner. I was thinking about the children and what they are going to do now." And she could feel a tear slip down her cheek.

"Children will be fine mem and I will make sure they write." He told her quietly.

"I would like that very much."

"You will write to children as well and perhaps the Lady Thiang? She was fond of mem as well." 

She turned back to look at him. "I would be honored Your Majesty."

"The Lady Thiang wishes King to tell mem she is most grateful for friendship. It was most welcome after cholera take Fa-Ying."

"The princess was her only other child?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"Please convey to the Lady Thiang that I am most grateful to her for her help when I first arrived. She was most kind and I shall always remember it."

The King smiled. "She will be pleased to hear such from mem."

They were quiet then as the Oarsmen guided the Barge down the river. Neither said any more and it was a companionable silence that brought them into Bangkok Harbor. It was as Anna remembered when she and Louis had arrived and seemed to be busier than ever.

As the Barge was moored at the Royal Dock, the harbor went silent as Siamese citizens prostrated themselves. King Mongkut stepped off the Barge and again held out his hand to Anna, but once she had stepped on the dock he let it go.

"Will mem be all right?" He looked at her with concern.

"We will be fine Your Majesty. Louis and I will wait aboard the _Newcastle_ for Moonshee and Beebee."

"They are coming soon?"

"Yes. As soon as the barge returns to the house, they will make sure the last of our things are transported here."

He nodded. "That is good mem."

There was so much that she wanted to say that she couldn't. "Thank you for bringing me here Your Majesty."

"King will always be grateful you came."

As they said goodbye, Louis came to stand next to her and the prince next to his father. 

She looked at the king and the young prince and felt another tear roll down her cheek. She took her son by the hand. "Come along Louis. We'll wait for Moonshee and Beebee on the ship."

"Thank you mem teacher for all you did for us." The prince told her. "We will never forget you."

"Nor I you Your Highness." She smiled at him before she dropped into a deep curtsey before them and Louis bowed.

"Have safe journey to England mem." The king told her as she rose.

"Thank you Your Majesty." She answered before he and the prince turned around and headed back to the Barge. The king stepped aboard and Chulalongkorn was about to before he turned back around and ran to Anna. He didn't say anything, but put his arms around her and she hugged him back. "Mind your father Your Highness. He is so very proud of you."

She felt him nod before he let her go and ran back to the Barge and joined his father as the Oarsmen pushed away from the dock and headed back up river. He stood at the rail and waved until the Barge disappeared around a bend in the river.

Anna looked at her son and smiled. "Come along Louis, let's find our rooms." 

She took his hand and they boarded the _HMS Newcastle_, bound for England.


	3. The Silence Can Be Deafening

Anna sat in her small stateroom aboard the _HMS Newcastle_.

She had taken off her outer garments and her bonnet before she had sat down at the small table. 

Moonshee and Beebee had taken Louis up to the main deck to watch the ship slip out of its berth and head toward the open sea. The urge to cry had begun to overcome her and it upset her because it wouldn't do a thing to change the situation. She was doing the only thing she _could_ do because to stay would have become more painful than it was at that moment. 

To try and remedy the situation she decided to write a letter to the children, but that only forced her to face the inevitable and Anna began to cry. It was almost like the loss of Tom all over again. It was just as permanent, but it wasn't because of death. 

As she cried, she didn't hear Beebee come in. All she was aware of was of being comforted by the feel of the woman's arms around her. Beebee didn't try to reassure her or make her feel better because that would have to come with time, as it had with Tom. Anna collected herself and sat up. "I'm sorry."

Beebee took her hand. "Perhaps some tea?"

"Thank you Beebee, that is a lovely idea." She sighed. "I'm going to miss all of them terribly."

"I know you will ma'am, but you did what was best." 

Anna nodded. "Yes, but it doesn't mean I wish things couldn't have been different."

Beebee nodded. "It's not my place to say this..." 

She laughed, the first time she'd felt like it in days. "You've always spoken your mind, I see no reason you should stop now."

The older woman smiled. "I was with you when you lost your husband and I worried that you would never be happy again. Then we came here and I worried again."

"I know you did. I was finally able to accept that Tom was lost to me forever and no amount of grieving would bring him back. Now I fear, I find myself in somewhat the same position."

"That is why I worried. I could see what was happening, but it was not my place to tell you that you shouldn't."

"You needn't have ever worried about that Beebee. I always knew my place and he never forgot his and we both knew what that meant."

"I do wish it could have been different for you ma'am. It was nice to finally see you smile again."

"I'll be all right, truly I will. And I think a brisk walk around the deck will do more good right now then having a cup of tea in here." Anna decided before she stood up and found her bonnet. She put it on and stuck the hatpins in before she tied the loose ribbons into a bow. 

Beebee smiled and followed Anna out of the stateroom.

It wasn't unusual for the king to visit any one of his wives or concubines in their quarters, but it was never to talk. 

On this particular visit, he came to see the Lady Thiang. Since the loss of Fa-Ying, she had withdrawn and ceased to join in the activities of the Royal Family as she once had. Though the wives worked together to raise the children, her position was unique in that she had given the king his first born son and his favorite daughter. 

That raised her esteem in his eyes and gave her a say that the other wives would never have and Lady Thiang never took advantage of that honor. 

He walked through a hallway of prostrate wives and concubines to come to a stop before his Head Wife. She seemed to sense him there and looked up. He indicated to her to stand and when she did she followed him outside and they walked to the children's garden. When they had reached the pavilion that had been the schoolroom he motioned for her to sit.

"Mem Leonowens wish for me to thank you for kind words. She also tell king to tell the Lady Thiang that she appreciate help you give when she first arrive." King Mongkut told her.

"She was most kind to children Your Majesty." She answered.

"They will miss her."

"As His Majesty will also?" She asked softly.

Lady Thiang always managed to get to the heart of the matter and do it in such a way that the king never took it as a sign of disrespect. He knew his judgment had been right when he'd asked Anna Leonowens to educate her. 

"She save King's life." He frowned and began to pace.

"What will His Majesty do about teacher now?"

"King has not yet decided, but cannot take too long." He told her. "Must find proper teacher who will not try to convert children."

"What will they do in meantime?" Lady Thiang asked him.

"Have been thinking about such and King think that you should help children until new teacher come." 

"I am not teacher Your Majesty." She reasoned.

"You are most correct, but you can help children not to forget what mem already teach them. Must not have new teacher think Royal Children not educated." 

"If king wishes me to do so." She agreed reluctantly.

"King wishes it so because it is time for you to be with children. They have missed you." 

"Heart still in mourning and feel need not to be with others." She said and a tear rolled down her cheek.

The king watched as the Lady Thiang gathered her composure and softened his regal stance just a bit. "King know how you feel but will tell you what mem Anna tell me, you cannot shut world out forever. Lady Thiang has been away from Chulalongkorn and other children too long and King think you need to be with them now."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

He began to walk back to the Wives Residence and the Lady Thiang followed him. He stopped in mid-stride and turned to face his Head Wife. "King almost forget to say that I ask mem Anna to write to you. I believe you would enjoy such and she has agreed."

She nodded and a gentle smile crossed her face. "Thank you Your Majesty, I _would_ enjoy such from mem teacher."

"She knows pain of loss and perhaps can help." 

It was unusual that the Lady Thiang would look directly at him. "As she help king?"

He smiled at her. "Yes, as she help king." 

He turned back around and with his Head Wife behind him, walked out of the garden.


End file.
